North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Douglas Hinds <cedecor@gmx.net>]

On 11/11/2012 10:29 AM, Alan Haigh wrote:
> From: Alan Haigh<alandhaigh@gmail.com>
> Date: Sun, Nov 11, 2012 at 9:59 AM
> Subject: Johny A.
> To:nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org
>
> > >That isn't to take away from Johnny. He was an apple authority and went
> > around the country helping folks and propagated popular varieties by grafting.
> Actually, according to Pollan's book, Johny thought grafting was devil's
> work and that God wanted trees to grow just as they were from seed.
God and Johnny aren't the only ones.  Count me in on that two.

How important is it to me?  I left the USA due to the relative dearth of 
fruit from seedling trees there in 1974 and I still don't eat fruit from 
trees that _aren't_  on their own roots.  In fact, fruit from seedling 
trees is the principle staple food of my diet and at 70, I have not yet 
begun to go downhill.

An article explaining the reasons why was published in the *1973 
California Rare Fruit Growers Yearbook* (the year before I left).  Steve 
Diver asked for for a copy and I e-mailed it to him about 12 years ago.  
(If Steve is on nafex I'd appreciate being sent a copy, since I don't 
have it on hand at this time.  And if not, Lawrence - I assume you have 
his current contact data, and I hope you can do me the favor of sending 
this on to him).

Grafting is unnecessary and creates more problems than it solves. 
Logically, those subscribing to organic, biological, alternative, 
sustainable and ecological (as well as permaculture and biodynamic) 
agriculture would recognize the importance of respecting and maintaining 
the integrity of the individual organism as a fundamental and 
unalterable principle, yet no movement (that I'm aware of) has taken up 
the cause and I think I (along with other sympathetic individuals and 
groups) need to do something about that.  (It's on the agenda we've 
established with CUCBA, our local Agricultural, Biological, 
Environmental and Animal Sciences Faculty) <www.cucba.udg.mx> and as 
time and funding permit, we will be moving ahead with it.

That's all for now, but I can elaborate further if this post generates 
any interest to that effect.

Douglas Hinds,

Director General
Centro para el Desarrollo Comunitario y Rural, A.C.

Coordinator
Alianza para la Responsibilidad Ecologica y Social en el Desarrollo
(CUCBA, FEPRJ, CNC Jalisco, CeDeCoR A.C.)

Chair
Organic Pineapple Working Group
International Society for Horticultural Science

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico